Sleeve for Cable Entries, Pipe Penetrations

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns a sleeve ( 1 ) for cable entries, pipe penetrations etc. The sleeve ( 1 ) has a central part ( 3 ) with a through central opening and one flange ( 2 ) at one end of the central part ( 3 ). The flange ( 2 ) is directed radially away from the central part ( 3 ). A compressible part ( 4 ) is arranged the flange ( 2 ) and a compression means ( 5 ), here in the form of a ring. The ring is arranged slidable on the outside of the central part ( 3 ). By means of screws ( 6 ) the compression means ( 5 ) may be forced towards the flange ( 2 ) of the central part ( 3 ), compressing the compressible part ( 4 ). By means of the compression of the compressible part ( 4 ) the sleeve ( 1 ) is fixed to a plate ( 7 ) or the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention concerns a sleeve, to be used with cable entries,pipe penetrations or the like. It also concerns means to mount thesleeve to a plate or the like.

PRIOR ART

Different sleeves of this kind are widely used today. The sleeves areparts of systems used to seal at cable entries, pipe penetrations etc.In addition to the sleeve the systems normally comprises furtherelements, such as seals, frames etc. to be placed tightly surroundingcables, pipes etc. Systems of this kind are used in many differentenvironments, such as for cabinets, technical shelters, junction boxesand machines and also decks and bulkheads of ships. They are used indifferent industrial environments, such as automotive, telecom, powergeneration and distribution, as well as marine and offshore.

The seals may have to seal against fluid, gas, fire, rodents, termites,dust, moisture etc. The seal may receive cables for electricity,communication, computers etc. or pipes for different gases or liquidssuch as water, compressed air, hydraulic fluid and cooking gas.

It is of course vital that the sleeve receiving the seals for the cableentries, pipe penetrations etc., is sufficiently sealed when mounted.

Sleeves of this kind have normally been attached to a plate being a partof a cabinet, technical shelter, junction box, machine, deck, bulkheadetc. The sleeve has been attached by means of screw joints, rivets,welding etc. to the plate. Thus, one has often been forced to work fromboth sides of the sleeve in mounting of the sleeve. Furthermore, weldingmay be difficult and cumbersome for retrofit. Especially if only alimited number of sleeves are to be retrofitted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to have a sleeve for pipepenetrations, cable entries etc. that is relatively easy to mount to aplate or the like. Yet the sleeve should be mounted in a secure, stableand sealed way.

A further object is that the sleeve should be possible to retrofit in asimple way and preferably from one side.

Still a further object is to have a sleeve with relatively simplefixation and sealing means. It should be simple in that way that it usesa limited number of parts and is easy to produce and mount. Furthermore,the area around the opening of the plate is not affected, i.e. no holesare drilled, no welding or soldering is performed etc.

According to the invention a sleeve for cable entries, pipe penetrationsetc. is provided. The sleeve has a central part, with a through centralopening and a flange at one end of the central part. The flange isdirected away from the central part. A compressible part is arrangedbetween the flange and a compression means, arranged slidable on theoutside of the central part. The central part is to be received in anopening of a plate or the like. The diameter of the opening of the plateis smaller than the outer diameter of the flange, whereby the flangewill abut against one side of the plate. Furthermore, the axialextension of the compressible part is larger than the axial extension ofthe opening of the plate.

The sleeve according to the present invention may be mounted from oneside of a plate or the like, making the sleeve fairly simple to mount.Thus, the sleeve is suitable for retrofit.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be obviousfor a person skilled in the art when reading the detailed descriptionbelow of at present preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described further below by way of anexample and with reference to the enclosed drawings. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of a sleeve according to the presentinvention taken from opposite sides;

FIGS. 3 is a perspective view of the sleeve of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted toa plate and with a seal for a cable entry or pipe penetration indicated;

FIG. 4 is a principal sectional view of the sleeve of the previous Figs.in a not compressed state; and

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 with the sleeve in a compressedstate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The sleeve 1 of the present invention has a flange 2 and a central part3, which flange 2 extend outwardly from one end of the central part 3.Thus, the outer diameter of the flange 2 is larger than the outerdiameter of the central part 3. On the central part 3 a part 4 ofcompressible material and a compression means, here in the form of aring 5, are received. The compressible part 4 is placed between theflange 2 and the ring 5. The compressible part 4 is normally made ofrubber, but in practice any compressible material may be used. Thecompression ring 5 is made of a material sufficient stiff to transferthe required compression force to the compressible part 4.

As used in this description the terms “axial”, “radial” andcorresponding expressions are in relation to a imaginary axis 8 goingthrough the centre of the sleeve.

The sleeve 1 has an inner through opening, which has a circular crosssection in the shown embodiment. The inner opening may have other formsin other embodiments, such as rectangular, square, oval, or any otherpolygonal form. The central part 3 of the sleeve 1 may also have otherouter forms, such as oval, square, rectangular or any other polygonalform. A person skilled in the art realises that the forms of thecompressible part 4 and the compression means are adapted to the form ofthe central part 3. Thus, if the central part 3 is not circular thecompression means is not a ring.

The ring 5 is to function as a compression element, i.e. compress thecompressible part 4. In order to function as a compression ring 5 anumber of threaded openings are arranged to receive screws 6. Openingscorresponding to the openings of the compression ring 5 are arranged inthe flange 2 of the sleeve 1. The screws 6 are to be received in saidopenings of the flange 2. Thus, by means of the screws 6 the compressionring 5 may be moved towards the flange 2 of the sleeve 1. As thecompressible part 4 is placed between the ring and the flange 2, it willbe compressed if and when the ring 5 is moved towards the flange 2. Dueto being compressed in the axial direction the compressible part 4 willexpand in the radial direction.

Inside the central part 3 a seal 9 for one or more cable entries, pipepenetrations etc. are to be received. Often the seal 9 or seals forcable entries, pipe penetrations are received in a frame 10, asindicated in FIG. 3. In the shown embodiment a number of screws 11 areused to fix the frame 10. A person skilled in the art realises that theseal and frame may have any suitable form depending on intended use.However, as the seal and frame as such does not form any part of thepresent invention it will not be described further here.

The sleeve 1 is to be received in an opening in a plate 7 or the like.The plate 7 may be a part of any type of vessel, a cabinet, a technicalshelter, junction box, machine etc. As the type of part receiving thesleeve 1 is of no direct importance it will not be described furtherhere. Normally the axial extension of the compressible part 4 is largerthan the thickness of the opening of the plate 7.

In use the sleeve 1, with the compressible part 4 and the compressionring 5 placed on the central part 3 of the sleeve 1, is placed in anopening of the plate 7 or the like. The outer diameter of thecompression ring 5 and the compressible part 4, respectively, shall besmaller than the inner diameter of the opening of the plate 7. Thus, thecentral part 3, with the compressible part 4 and the compression ring 5,is put through the opening of the plate 7. The flange 2 of the sleeve 1is pushed against the plate 7. The screws 6 are received in the openingsof the flange 2 and compression ring 5, respectively.

In the starting position the compressible part 4 has not yet beencompressed. (See FIG. 4) The dimensions of the opening of the plate 7and the sleeve 1 are adapted to each other. The central part 3 of thesleeve 1 together with the compressible part 4 and the compression means5 are to be received in the opening of the plate 1. In the notcompressed condition the compressible part 4 and the compression ring 5have a small play to the opening of the plate 7. The outer diameter ofthe flange 2 should extend the diameter of the opening of the plate 7 tohinder the sleeve 1 from passing through the opening.

By the design of the sleeve 1 and the parts received on it, it ispossible to mount the sleeve 1 from one side of the plate 7. That sideis the side on which the flange 2 is to abut against the plate 7.Furthermore, thanks to the possibility to mount from one side it isrelatively easy to retrofit sleeves 1 of this type.

With the flange 2 of the sleeve 1 abutting against the plate 7, thescrews 6 are turned to force the compression ring 5 in the directiontowards the flange 2. As the compression ring 5 goes towards the flange2 of the sleeve 1, the compressible part 4 is compressed in the axialdirection. Due to the axial compression the compressible part 4 willexpand in the radial direction. Thereby the compressible part 4 ispressed against the inner diameter of the opening of the plate 7. Thecompressible part 4 will also expand in radial direction outside theopening of the plate 7. (See FIG. 5) The effect that the compressiblepart 4 will expand in a radial direction outside the opening of theplate 7 is dependent on the axial extension of the compressible part 4being larger than the thickness of the plate 7. Thus, the sleeve 1 willbe held at the plate 7 by means of the flange 2, the compressible part 4pressing on the inner diameter of the opening of the plate 7 and thecompressible part 4 expanding at the side of the plate 7 opposite theflange 2.

The play between the compressible part 4 and the opening of the plate 7,as well as the properties of the compressible part 4 should be such thatthe sleeve 1 will be fixed in a sufficiently secure and sealed way bythe movement of the compression ring 5. Thus, depending on the demandsin each specific case compressible parts 4 having different propertiesand/or dimensions may be used.

By controlling the torque applied by each screw 6, it is possible tocontrol the compression and, thus, the level of fixation and sealing ofthe sleeve 1. By increasing the number of screws 6 used it is possibleto increase the maximal compression force of the compression ring 5. Inview of this the compression ring 5 or other compression means must bestrong enough to withstand the expected compression forces. Thus, byaltering the material and/or thickness of the ring 5 it is possible toadapt the ring to different compression forces.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A sleeve for a cable entry, pipe penetration, saidsleeve, comprising: a central part with a through central opening and aflange at one end of the central part, said flange is directed away fromthe central part; a compressible part being arranged between and incontact with the flange and a compression means, arranged slidable onthe outside of the central part, the outer diameter of the flange beinglarger than the inner diameter of an opening receiving the sleeve, andthe sleeve is mounted in that the compressible part is compressed inaxial direction by means of the compression means and thereby expand inradial direction to abut against the inner diameter of the openingreceiving the sleeve.
 14. The sleeve according to claim 13, wherein thecompression means is attached to the flange in a way enabling thecompression means to obtain different positions in relation to theflange.
 15. The sleeve according to claim 14, wherein the compressionmeans is attached to the flange by means of screws, received in a threadengagement in openings of the compression means and the number of screwsis adapted to the expected compression force.
 16. The sleeve accordingto claim 15, wherein torque of the screws is controlled in order tocontrol the compression force.
 17. The sleeve according to claim 13,wherein the thickness and/or properties of the material of thecompressible part and/or the compression means are adapted to theexpected maximal compression force.
 18. The sleeve according to claim13, wherein the central part is received in an opening of a plate,whereby the flange abuts against one side of the plate.
 19. The sleeveaccording to claim 13, wherein the inner configuration of thecompression means correspond to the outer configuration of the centralpart of the sleeve.
 20. The sleeve according to claim 19, wherein thecompressible part, in a non-compressed condition, and the compressionmeans are received with a play to the opening of the plate.
 21. Thesleeve according to claim 19, wherein the compressible part in acompressed condition will expand to a dimension larger than the innerdiameter of the opening of the plate outside the plate.
 22. The sleeveaccording to claim 19, wherein the compressible part is made of a rubbermaterial and/or the axial extension of the compressible part is largerthan the axial extension of the opening of the plate.
 23. The sleeveaccording to claim 19, wherein the outer forms of the compression meansand the central part of the sleeve are such that they can be pushedthrough the central opening of the plate.
 24. The sleeve according toclaim 23, wherein the opening of the plate and/or the outer part of thecentral part of the sleeve has a circular cross section.